SA national in court for border jumping

A South African national was fined US$200 for entering Zimbabwe illegally without a valid passport.

Sibusiso Ntuli (46), who is self-employed as a marble and granite installer, pleaded guilty when he appeared before Plumtree magistrate Joshua Nembaware last Wednesday.

Ntuli was fined US$200 or two months imprisonment following his convinction.

Prosecutor Selestine Madziwa said on December 18, Ntuli arrived at Plumtree border post in the morning enroute to South Africa travelling in his personal vehicle.

The vehicle had a temporary import permit under his Serbian friend, Petrovic Cedomir.

The permit was issued to him at Beitbridge border post upon entry into Zimbabwe.

The South African did not present himself to immigration officials at Beitbridge when they entered Zimbabwe.

In Plumtree, Ntuli remained in the vehicle as Cedomir completed immigration formalities.

however, at Ramokgwebana border post as they were about to enter Botswana it was discovered that Ntuli had an expired passport leading to his arrest.

They were escorted back to Plumtree border post where they were handed over to the immigration officials. — niZbert MOYO

fugitive rapist nabbed

after three years

A 34 year-old man from Pioneer village in Fort Rixon, Matabeleland South, raped his niece and went on the run for three years.

The suspect who cannot be named to protect the identity of his then 12-year-old niece appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Sibonginkosi Mkandla last Wednesday.

he was remanded in custody to January 10 for further trial. Prosecutors said Moyo disappeared three years ago to evade arrest.

According to court papers, on July 18, 2020, the man went to Mzilikazi high-density suburb in Bulawayo to visit his grandmother where he met the juvenile who was also visiting.

At around 3am, the suspect got into the victim’s blankets and raped her.

The girl revealed the rape to her grandmother, who reported the matter to the police. he was arrested last Saturday in Fort Rixon. During cross examination, the suspect questioned why the victim reported the matter after he had left.

The girl said she was confused, traumatised and hurt. – Jerssie MPOFU

A two-year-old boy was found floating in the Manyange stream close to his home in Matobo district’s Samkhonto village.

The tragic incident happened on December 18. Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Loveness Mangena said the boy was playing in the yard while his mother was doing laundry before disappearing.

“Then there is a time where the woman saw that her child is missing and she quickly alerted the neighbours, who teamed up and assisted to look for the child,” she said. Mangena said he was later found floating in the Manyange stream.

“The Manyange stream is about 300 meters from the house of this woman. Then a report was done and the body was retrieved and taken to Kezi,” she said.

Mangena urged parents and community members to be extra vigilant about the safety of their children during the rainy season, especially near water sources. — sHarOn sibindi